New Evidence on the Date of the Burials in Catacomb 20

Recent excavtions at catacomb 20 (the sarcophagi catacom) in Beth She`arim have yielded new evidence on the phases and dates of burial in that lavish and central cemetery. The finds point at least two distinct phases of burial, one Late Roman and the other Late Byzantine, as well as evidence for collapses and robbery. This new evidence sheds light on the destiny of Beth She`arim in the Byzantine period, as part of the ongoing debate on the Jewish Galilee in Late Antiquity.